


Hallways

by beanyawl



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Pre-Slash, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beanyawl/pseuds/beanyawl
Summary: The funny thing about growing up together is how the people around you change.
Kudos: 4





	Hallways

The funny thing about growing up together is how the people around you change.

Kenma’s watching Kuroo again, best friend, captain, popular kid, handsome. People swarm him these days, he’s got that swagger he puts on. He usually drops it when he’s in Kenma’s room, but sometimes he doesn’t, which is pretty amusing and Kenma tells him so when Kuroo asks why he’s snickering. Point is, Kuroo’s popular these days. He didn’t used to be, but he was the same person. 

Everyone around them though—Kenma’s following along in Kuroo’s wake as he strides through the hallways, and it’s like these people, these tall alien classmates of theirs, part around him. Crowds don’t part around Kenma, which is one of the reasons Kenma sticks to the walls when he’s walking alone. Following Kuroo is like being in the slipstream of a particularly noisy boat, one of those honking ones with weirdly wavy, fluffy hair. Kenma’s losing control of his similes here: he’d use one from gaming, but he doesn’t do multiplayer. 

“Hey Kuroo,” “What’s up, man?” “Hey,” and physical contact too, hands clapping along Kuroo’s back and shoulders while Kenma quickly ducks his head down to his game. He’d be worried about being Kuroo’s small, pathetic shadow, but Kuroo kind of mandates that Kenma follow him around; he’s perfectly happy alone at the edges. It's thus Kuroo’s responsibility to make Kenma not look pathetic if Kuroo keeps putting Kenma in situations where he could be construed as pathetic, and that whole sentence is annoying enough that Kenma will just round it up to being Kuroo’s problem, as usual. 

Delegating social stuff to Kuroo is remarkably convenient. Kuroo’s protectiveness—and Kenma knows Kuroo does a ton of stuff on the side—is also sweet, in an embarrassing and thankfully mockable way. 

“Through the gauntlet,” Kenma murmurs to himself, when they finally emerge from the packed hallways to the outdoors. 

“What was that?” Kuroo asks, finally turning to him. He drifts over to Kenma’s side, throws an arm around his shoulder. 

“Nothing,” Kenma says. Kuroo tilts his head, birdlike, but in the end just shrugs and follows the well-trod path to the gym. 

“I’m sure you’re making fun of someone, probably me, but I’ll leave you your little secrets,” he says. “You ready for practice?”

Kenma nods, and Kuroo returns the gesture agreeably.

There’s a stretch of silence. Kuroo removes his arm, and they divert to the locker room to change. 

“You ever think it’s funny how you’re so popular, sometimes?” Kenma asks, when they’re still a ways from the stairs. “Like, how every time we move schools, new people come in, you’re more the conquering hero at every level.”

Kuroo throws his head back as he laughs, and Kenma admires the line of his throat. Private observations in his own head are always acceptable and to be cultivated. 

“I’ll be your conquering hero,” he says, leering, and Kenma raises an eyebrow at him. “Nah, I don’t know that I think about it that much. Not how you’re thinking about it-- tell me more later?”

Kenma shrugs. “Not sure there’s much more to say,” Kenma says, as Kuroo pulls open the door, to the sounds of cacophony. Lockers slamming, people yelling, rustling. Sigh. These people are his teammates. 

Kuroo’s already sticking his tongue out at someone inside, but he turns his head to smile at Kenma, small. “Always wanna hear your thoughts,” he says, pitched for Kenma’s ears, before striding into the fray and yelling across the room at Yaku. 

I know, Kenma thinks, closing the door behind them. And that’s why it’ll never matter that much, when the people around them change.


End file.
